Obstetric patient satisfaction: asking patients what they like

This study was undertaken to determine pertinent attributes of women's hospital experience related to the delivery of their children and to use open-ended responses from women to develop a taxonomy for classifying patient satisfaction in obstetrics.

By using clinimetric methods, we interviewed 67 obstetric patients during their postpartum hospital stays, asking open-ended questions about their satisfaction with care. Responses were transcribed, arranged into distinct groups, and organized as a taxonomy of patient satisfaction.

The final taxonomy derived from patient responses was divided into six main axes related to physicians, nurses, other staff, special services, hospital attributes, and personal focus; a total of 51 individual items were identified related to patient satisfaction. These items have face validity, and many are not routinely included in assessments of patient satisfaction.

A simple strategy of using open-ended questions leads to a clinically relevant and easily understood classification scheme for patient satisfaction with in-hospital obstetric services.